


The Phoenix's Crest

by ShadowArtemis4456



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, F/M, Friends to Lovers, OC is a MGiT, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Dragon Age: Inquisition - Trespasser DLC
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-14
Updated: 2019-01-18
Packaged: 2019-10-09 21:58:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17413490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowArtemis4456/pseuds/ShadowArtemis4456
Summary: Aralia Phoenixcrest was once a modern girl. Keyword being "was". Now she's an MGiT, living in South Reach where a certain Commander's siblings live. She's aware of all those stories that feature MGiTs and how they struggle in finding a way to fit in upon their arrival to Thedas, but she has skills in something that allows her to fit right in: Woodworking. Thanks to her grandfather and his insistence that Aralia learns to use tools that aren't powertools, Aralia is well prepared for her new life and proving that she can keep with the men who work in the same area as her.Cullen Rutherford is the former Commander of the now disbanded Inquisition and an ex-templar as well. Upon arriving at the town where his siblings live, Cullen is warmly welcomed by them and is immediately introduced to Aralia shortly after his arrival. Wondering where she came from, Cullen decides to attempt to get know Aralia and finds out that there is more to this young woman then meets the eye.





	1. Prologue

It was a warm summer day with a gentle breeze as the young woman walked out of her home to stand on the porch. A smile was on her face as she watched the other townsfolk start their days, each waving or telling her good morning and she would return it to them. Turning to make sure her home was locked up, She soon walked off her porch to head over to her little shop and felt the breeze pick up a bit and chuckled. _"Thanks, grandpa,"_ She looked towards the sky still with a smile on her face then turned back to the door to her shop and opened it for the day. Today would likely be a rather quiet day for her as the people who normally came in would not be there as they were expecting their brother to arrive today to visit with them before he headed off to do something else, but the young woman was okay with that. She had things to keep her occupied despite how quiet it would be in the shop. She knew people would still come and go to look at or buy things they wanted or needed and she was alright with that too. However, despite the fact that today would be mostly quiet, it would turn out that her usual customers _would_ actually make it to the shop, dragging their poor brother along as well. 

"Aralia! Are you in here?" A masculine voice called out as the young woman answered.

"Back here!" The young woman, Aralia, called back as the person who had called out to her came walking into the back where Aralia was checking over the wood she had to work with carefully as she checked for the right piece of wood for what she had planned. "Hmn, I may have to order some more of this specific type of wood soon," She hummed to herself as she looked at her shelves. 

"Aralia! Come on out of here, and come meet my brother-in-law!" The owner of the masculine voice said, causing the young woman to turn and see the current Patriarch of the family that often came to her shop, Tim, walking into the room where she was currently taking stock of the wood she had and the ones she would need to reorder soon. 

"Which brother?" Aralia inquired, forgetting for a moment, that in his wife's family, there was a man who was technically the eldest brother despite being the second born. "I've already met Branson, who speaking of... I need to head over to his smithy and see if he has those nails ready for what I am planning on doing."

"Worry about that later. And it's my wife's first brother, the second born, Cullen."

That's when it hit her who he was talking about. "Oh! That one. The reason I **_wasn't_** supposed to be seeing any of you today," She shot a look towards Tim who smirked. "I guess I can take a moment to meet him, but I do have something I _must_ get to work on today." 

"Just meet him real quick, we won't take but a few moments of your time, promise," Tim informed her as Aralia sighed. 

Setting the wood back down on its proper shelf, Aralia began to follow Tim out of the stockrooms and as she followed him, she heard his wife speaking to someone as whoever it was investigated the latest creation Aralia had finished. "Isn't her work amazing, Cullen?" 

"She made all of this?" The newcomer, Cullen as Aralia figured his name to be, inquired as Tim's wife responded.

"She did, I think she just finished this desk either yesterday or the day before. I just love how she made the designs on the sides into mabari!" The woman said as Aralia and Time finally entered the main area. 

"Mia, I've told you several times since you first laid eyes on it," Aralia spoke up causing both Tim's wife and the man next to her to turn and see her walking in, "All you have to do is ask and it will be yours free of charge." 

"Oh, I couldn't just take it! Where would I put it." Mia inquired as Aralia nodded towards Tim who had wandered over to the children's section to look at some toys for the kids. 

"You have a husband who is a Carpenter, have him build onto your house and put it there," Aralia smirked as Tim looked over at her in confusion. 

"What about me?" he frowned as Aralia sighed.

"Nothing," Aralia shook her head. "Anyways, your dear husband talked me into coming out here for a reason." 

Mia smiled then, "Of course! Aralia, this is Cullen," She waved to the man standing next to her who nodded. "Cullen, this is Aralia."

"A pleasure to met you, Lady Aralia," Cullen said as Aralia chuckled. 

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance as well, Ser Cullen. And, please, I insist that you call me Aralia as you would never see a "true" lady in my line of work," Aralia told him as Tim muttered something about how Aralia was seen as just "one of the guys" because of it. "Yes I am and I can still kick your ass in Wicked Grace too."

"That was pure luck that day!" Tim snipped back playfully as Aralia snorted. 

"You keep telling yourself that. You still have yet to win back your dignity from that game," She smirked as Tim went to protest, but then she noted a cart coming up and sighed. "And there's the shipment of wood I've been expecting," She sighed as Tim looked towards the door, "It was a pleasure to meet you, Ser Cullen, but it seems work is never done and so I must return to it. My shop is open every day except on the holidays so you are welcome to stop by anytime. If you'll excuse me," With that Aralia turned and left the three alone to continue looking at her wares as she walked out to discuss the shipment with the man who had brought it. Cullen couldn't help but watch as Aralia inspected the wood and nodded to whatever the man was telling her, before calling for them to take it around the side so it could be unloaded. Cullen eventually returned his attention to Mia and they spoke about some things before leaving the shop, and he dared a glance back at Aralia who was helping to unload the logs and planks of wood from the cart.


	2. One

The next day found Aralia back in her shop and starting to work on the project she should have started the day before, but due to how much wood had been unloaded and then needed to be organized and the payments that had been seen to after all of the wood was unloaded, she had figured she would have needed to wait until today to get started on that project. As she began measuring out the pieces she would need, she set to start sawing them out when Tim's voice rang out as he and his two brothers-in-law came walking into the area she was setting around to working in and she looked up as she saw them come walking in, "Hey Ara," Tim greeted her as she looked to him, "Already getting started?"

"You know this can't wait, Tim." She informed him as she turned back to what she was doing. "Besides, now that I have all the pieces I need, I can finish the Knight-Commander's new desk." 

"Oh yeah, he did inquire about you making him a new one didn't he?"

"Yes he did, now if you're not to help, then shoo. I have a lot I need to get done today so I can see to it that he gets it by tomorrow afternoon."

"Don't you "shoo" me, We came to get that desk Mia adores." 

"Oh?" Aralia inquired as she continued to work.

"Yes, we found a spot where she can put it."

"Okay, then go take it, I've told her and you a hundred times, it's hers." Aralia looked up briefly and then back down to what she was doing, "Oh, good! Derek, your here."

The man who came walking in blinked for a moment as she spoke to him, "I am. Need me to do something?"

"Yeah, help your brother and his in-laws get that desk over to his and Mia's place. You know, the one that Mia has been eyeing since I finished it."

"Oh yeah, sure." With that, the four men left and Aralia was glad for it as she became very busy and could not afford the time for a distraction until this was complete and perfect as she would have nothing less for the Knight-Commander. The man who had, upon her arrival, saved her stupid ass from her own idiocy and in some way had "unofficially adopted" her. As she worked, she didn't realize that she had begun to hum and then, mentally saying "screw it", began to sing the song that she was humming. As she hummed she drew closer and closer to finishing the desk and soon, just as dusk was falling, smiled at the almost completed project. Derek did eventually come back, when he did she wasn't sure, but as dusk drew close he bid her good night and closed up the shop front leaving her to continue her work as the night drew ever closer. 

She was carving the Templar Order's symbol into one of the side panels of the desk when a voice reached her causing her head to tilt as she listened closely to it, "Aralia? Are you still in here?"

"Back here, Mia!" Aralia responded once her mind had registered _WHO_ the voice belonged to and then went straight back to carving. 

"Aralia? There you are!" Mia's voice echoed into the area the moment she saw Aralia carving something on the side of the desk. Glancing to where Mia was, Aralia saw that the woman was not alone, as one of her two brothers (Cullen apparently) had decided to accompany her, and swiftly returned to her work "Why are you still here?"

"I want to get this done," Aralia explained as she felt, rather than saw, Mia giving her a look of disappointment. "Plus, I'm not tired so there is that as well." 

Mia sighed as she approached Aralia who had finished working on the carving on one side of the desk and had moved to the other side, "And what would your grandfather say if he saw you like this now?" 

Aralia flinched, which caught Cullen's attention, before sighing. "He'd tell me that it's time to relax and finish "work" the next day. But Mia," Aralia looked towards the woman, "You know as well that I struggle with that since he..."

"I know, Ara," Cullen looked to Mia and wondered why they were speaking of Aralia's grandfather like they were. "But you can't keep doing this to yourself, this is the fifth time this week alone I 've come to check on you after nightfall and seen you still busy at work," Aralia said nothing, only sat on the ground looking down at her lap where her hands were resting on some of her carving tools. Cullen watched as Aralia sighed. "Just promise me that when you are done here, that you'll go home and try to rest."

"I...I'll try," Aralia told Mia who seemed almost satisfied with the response. After they left Aralia sat still for a few moments with tears in her eyes that just wouldn't shed. Taking in a deep breath Aralia let it out and soon returned to work. After completely finishing the desk, Aralia walked out into the main area of the shop and wrote a letter for Derek to read in the morning telling him who all would be by to take the Knight-Commander's Desk to the Chantry and put it in his office, and then told him that she had somethings to do out of town so she would be would be gone for the next few days or so. And so after closing up the shop, Aralia went home to get what little sleep she could before setting out just before the asscrack of dawn.


	3. Two

_**"HE SAID WHAT?!"**_ Aralia snarled as she paced around behind the desk in the room as another young woman watched her. "Does he honestly think that I am _THAT_ stupid?!"

"What are you going to do, Ara?"

"I can't exactly do anything now that the former Commander of the Inquisition is now **_LIVING_** in the town where I do," Aralia continued to pace around with a glower on her face. "Damn it all!" She snarled as her dagger flashed for a moment before landing on the desk.

"Aralia, you know you have to complete the contract, its the boss's order."

"And get myself killed because of it? Oh yes, I can see exactly how well that one will go over! Kill the person who the contract is about and suddenly claim "Oh hey, one of my fake brothers just got into contact with me! I need to move away to take care of my fake father who has fallen gravely ill!" Oh yes, because that wouldn't draw suspicions from the **_COMMANDER_** at all." Aralia snarled as she threw her fist down upon the desk. 

"Well you can't just deny the bosses orders," The other young woman pointed out as Aralia growled. 

"And I'm not. Tell him that I will finish the contract. Tell him I will see it done, but also inform him that it may take me a while to finish it as I have to be careful of that damned ex-Commander." 

"Alright. Don't fail this mission, Aralia. You know how the boss gets when someone fails."

"Don't worry about me. I won't return until this mission is complete." Aralia watched as the young woman rolled her eyes and walked out of the room. 

"Just don't screw it up."

 _Oh don't worry, I won't screw this up..._ Aralia thought as she watched the woman leave.  _It's just figuring out a way to complete it without that Rutherford man figuring out who and what I really am that will be the difficult part. Even though its none of his family I am after, I have a good feeling he will still figure out that I am the one who was going after the person._ Aralia sighed as she looked at the map of Ferelden.  _This is going to be difficult... Rutherford will easily be able to figure it out if I give him reason to be suspicious... but...I have to be careful not just because of him but because the boss has... NO! I cannot think of her at this moment...I need to focus on the task at hand and once this is done... I will get to see her again. I_ _hope..._ Aralia sighed heavily as she placed her hands on the desk for a few moments.

****

"Is Aralia here?" Mia's voice caused Derek to look up from what he was doing. 

"No, she left early this morning," He replied watching as his sister in law and her brother came walking into the shop. "She said she would be back in a few days."

"Do you know why?"

"If I had to guess? Likely to go find choice cuts of wood for her next project." He sighed in response as he returned to work. While Mia and Cullen left the shop to head back to her place. 

"Mia?" Cullen looked to his eldest sister.

"Yes?" Mia turned to Cullen who had stopped. 

"Does Aralia always disappear so suddenly like this?"

"Only when she feels like she may have a large project coming up and that's extremely rare. The last time she disappeared like this was a couple of months ago when a strange man came by."

"Oh?"

Mia nodded, "I don't know what all happened, but according to Derek, the man became physically violent with Aralia, even going so far as to throw her against the wall." That caught Cullen's interest. "If you want i'm sure Derek would be more then pleased to explain what all he saw but Cullen..."

"Hmn?"

"Be careful. I think that man may be using someone or something to control Aralia and force her to act the way he wants her to."

"What?"

Mia nodded again before signaling him to follow. Once they were safely inside, Mia called for her husband who came to stand in the doorway. Then she began to explain as the other two siblings of theirs appeared. As Cullen listened Branson spoke now and everyone turned to him, "Mia, we  ** _KNOW_**  that Aralia does. Derek found the proof. He found the letter stating that if Aralia didn't do as she was told then she would never see the little girl again."

"Aralia has a child?" Cullen was shocked now.

"Not hers by blood, Aralia was married to a Templar from around here and he had a daughter who fell absolutely in love with Aralia. But not even two months after they were married, the Templar was murdered leaving the girl to Aralia's care." Branson explained as Mia pick up where he left off.

"It was on their way back from Denerium, that the Templar was killed, the girl taken and Aralia was forced into servitude." 

"How did you-?"

"Come to find that out?" Tim frowned, "Aralia told me after I cornered her and begged her to tell me where Avisa was at. We were planning on mounting a rescue but Aralia begged us not to. She told us that if we did Avisa would be killed and that we would also be killed along with the girl and that no one in the town would be spared the wrath of the man who is forcing her to do things against her own good nature." Cullen frowned as Tim sighed. "I wish there was something we could do for her and Avisa..."

Cullen sat thinking for a moment before an Idea struck him. "Maybe I can," He stated as everyone looked towards him. 

"What are you proposing?" Mia asked cautiously with a look that told Cullen she wouldn't approve of anything that put Aralia or Avisa in more danger. Cullen closed his eyes for a moment before speaking his mind and, though it was risky, Mia half wondered if it would work. " That could work... But what should happen if you actually fall in love with Aralia?"

"We'll see won't we?" Cullen smirked while he silently prayed that this wild hare he had up his ass would work.


End file.
